Litoria Aurea Vivarium

Litoria Aurea Vivarium

Postby snake_freak » Sun Apr 23, 2006 1:04 am

Hey all

This is 60cm x 30cm x 30cm viv that I'm busy setting up. It's for a couple of Litoria aurea that I've got. It's the first false bottom viv that I've done.

Image

Image
User avatar
snake_freak
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 281
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2005 10:34 pm
Location: Adelaide, Australia

Postby mw-glenn » Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:25 am

Wow! - that looks brilliant. Could you give a bit of a run down on what you've got in there? (substrate, plants etc.)
Glenn.
User avatar
mw-glenn
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 127
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 4:43 pm
Location: Lonehill, Joburg

Postby GOOF 1o1 » Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:39 am

Hey man that looks awesome nice work could you tell us the species common name
GOOF 1o1
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 114
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2005 2:17 pm

Postby froot » Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:47 am

WOW! that's incredible. What do you mean by 'false bottom'? Also, what's involved in the maintenance of the viv? I'm keen to give it a try.
We salute the improvement of the human genome by honoring those who remove themselves from it.
Of necessity, this honor is generally bestowed posthumously. - www.darwinawards.com
User avatar
froot
Founder Member
 
Posts: 6901
Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2005 8:19 am
Location: Joburg, South Africa

Postby mw-glenn » Sun Apr 23, 2006 12:06 pm

Hey man that looks awesome nice work could you tell us the species common name


The Green and Golden bell frog - from Western Aus.
But I read that they feed on other frogs - whats you gonna feed him?
Glenn.
User avatar
mw-glenn
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 127
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 4:43 pm
Location: Lonehill, Joburg

Postby mw-glenn » Sun Apr 23, 2006 12:08 pm

*eastern Aus - I was upside down when I typed that
Glenn.
User avatar
mw-glenn
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 127
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 4:43 pm
Location: Lonehill, Joburg

Postby Mongoose » Sun Apr 23, 2006 12:11 pm

that is very lekker man,what u keeping in there?
The best things come to those who flip rocks.
User avatar
Mongoose
SA Reptiles Honorary Member
 
Posts: 2177
Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:37 pm
Location: Nelspruit

Postby snake_freak » Sun Apr 23, 2006 1:32 pm

Thanks everyone :D

Could you give a bit of a run down on what you've got in there?


The substrate is a planting mix that I based on the mixes from the articles in Reptiles magazine:

1 part coconut husk cubes (if you can’t find the precubed stuff just get the coconut fibre hanging basket liners and cut them into cubes).

1 part orchid bark.

2 parts dead broadleaf-forest leaf litter

Then add some general organic fertilizer and some blood and bone meal (1 table spoon per 3L of substrate or follow packet instructions).

There are 4 different mosses in the tank. All collected from a (non-reserve) forest the main one on the floor is some type of carpet moss, the one on the branch is a fern moss, not sure about the other 2. The fern in the left corner is a rabbit-foot fern and the one behind the trunk is some sort of native that I can't find the name for yet. It's still not complete and I'll probably add a couple more plants.

could you tell us the species common name


What mw- glenn said :smt023 .... Green and Golden bell frog. The will eat anything they can swallow, but are fine with their own species as long as they're roughly the same size. I'll just be feeding them feeder insects though ;) .

What do you mean by 'false bottom'? Also, what's involved in the maintenance of the viv?


A false bottom viv has the planting substrate held above the water level using a plastic grate. This thread on vivaria forums explains it well:

http://www.vivariaforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12

Maintanence is easy if the viv ecosystem is set up right. Beneficial bacteria and decomposers (tiny invertabrates) break down feces which then goes into the soil (eg. to fertilize plants). The bacteria and decomposers are introduced in the leaf litter. This link covers the whole biologically active substrate issue nicely, read Bob's (AKA TRSzoo) posts especially, he designs zoo exibits in the USA and explains it really well.

http://www.herphabitats.com/showthread.php?t=366&highlight=substrates

Hope I've answered everything :smt101 . I'll post more pics when it's finished.
User avatar
snake_freak
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 281
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2005 10:34 pm
Location: Adelaide, Australia

Postby GOOF 1o1 » Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:13 pm

If we are interested where can we find these or other frogs
GOOF 1o1
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 114
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2005 2:17 pm

Postby Stefan » Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:18 pm

what planting mixture
Stefan
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 349
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2005 8:37 pm
Location: Klerksdorp

Postby Alpaulo » Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:19 pm

Reptilians has some pretty cool frogs for sale.. check them out..
User avatar
Alpaulo
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 228
Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:07 am
Location: United Kingdom

Postby snake_freak » Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:41 pm

what planting mixture


1 part coconut husk cubes (if you can’t find the precubed stuff just get the coconut fibre hanging basket liners and cut them into cubes).

1 part orchid bark.

2 parts dead broadleaf-forest leaf litter

Then add some general organic fertilizer and some blood and bone meal (1 table spoon per 3L of substrate or follow packet instructions).
User avatar
snake_freak
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 281
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2005 10:34 pm
Location: Adelaide, Australia

Postby GOOF 1o1 » Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:52 pm

Thanx Froot will do
GOOF 1o1
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 114
Joined: Fri Dec 09, 2005 2:17 pm

Postby Stefan » Sun Apr 23, 2006 3:43 pm

will the water not get stagnent if it lies there
Stefan
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 349
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2005 8:37 pm
Location: Klerksdorp

Postby Spikelet » Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:05 pm

Wow! :shock:

If the water gets splashed around a bit it should stay ok as it will filter back through the 'ground' filtering itself as it sinks through to the bottom again I would think - basically like an undergravel filter in a fish tank cept the filter is above the water. Maybe a little pump to keep the water moving and this will help to stop it going stagnant.

great job - would look lovely in my house :twisted: ;)
'We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner' Bilbo Baggins
User avatar
Spikelet
SA Reptiles Member
 
Posts: 421
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2006 9:16 am
Location: JHB

Next

Return to Natural vivariums

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

cron